Useful procrastination...

Writing a business plan I knew was not going to be easy but seriously...what?!  I believe the marketing plan is going to be harder as I have so many ideas its reigning them in to a suitable plan and strategy....at this point the answer is less procrastination(better make this a short post then) and more just getting on with it.

I have come across some great opportunities recently though in order to help Small Business's with things such as this besides the obvious Business Link - will the Tories' really replace this with another worthwhile and accessible initiative?!  They are below therefore for your viewing pleasure and I hope to see some of you there!

20th April - Small Business and Politics, meet the local MP

28th - 29th April - RSVP London

30th April - Keeping Business Local, Basingstoke

13th May - How to get a press release published

Leather strapped decisions...

My biggest conundrum today is....which boots to get?!

Black go with everything or Brown also go with everything? It is a tough one!

Well I needed something to keep me motivated while making calls to various South East Venues about Christmas Events and so forth. Its only 7 weeks away or something and I needed to get on it in terms of getting some seasonal work. I should have been 'on it' about 2 months ago, again, bad planning. If I am still here next year...I promise I will think ahead more!!

My planning will look like this:

Jan - July

Get over the sherry hangover and say a happy new year to all your clients.

Continue to build on my events guide for 2010.

Call, call and call business's to promote my services - concentrate on advertising and PR agencies

Decide on an actual marketing budget and plan for it - help needed for this I think

Work work and work

Market Market and Market

Network Network Network

Events Events Events

Research Research and more research

Assist - I have decided 8 weeks are being dedicated to assisting.

Aug

Xmas Events! There it is....start in August!

Get to London Fashion Week

Sep - Dec

Hopefully actually work!

I better actually write a plan like this, you know, running a business and all that. There is a lot I would like to achieve next year. Hmmmm, Christmas project for sure. My next two years in business, planning and execution. Scary.

All Glossy......

Feel like I should be writing some RIP piece about Jacko but there is so much around at the moment I decided it had probably all been said. Therefore in a bid to look for something else to write about I thought I would entertain myself with ambitions of fashion magazines that one day, I would like to feature in. Better start working on that and seriously - I am on a mission to get my shite sorted and actually start getting out there with my portfolio. Couple more fashion shoots to complete before August then POW - I am there baby!!

Knowing me knowing you...

The Fat Mix evening promised good music and a vibe to part to, well it did just that! Although there to take pictures I was also in a social mood & thought a bit of getting to know your peers and so forth was in order.  Plus I was enjoying my stripy blue top (straight from my sis's wardrobe!!) and thought it deserved a shimmy on the dance-floor.

The evening saw DJ Chef (Lets Move Forward Productions) VS Run DJ's, both giving excellent performances and ensuring there was some booty shaking and foot tapping on the dance floor.  

The event was @ The Blag Club in London, Russell Gardens and although not the best sound system in the world it was a quirky setting which apart from the issues I had with the sheer amount of red in the images, was an interesting venue to get some images.  It was a Asian style venue with lots of big comfy seating, incense and real thick wooden tables.  The highlight of the evening I have to say was the live percussion, the bongo dude and the saxophonist.  Both excellent performers and really added a special touch to the evening.   One other thing I saw and like lots, was the gold dress being sported by a lovely lady called Vicky, suited her down to the ground & teamed with some wet look leggings and nice shoes, the gal pulled off the bling dress with pure style!!

See the pics @ www.carli-art.co.uk/login - FATMIXRUN gallery.

Fashanimals.....

Lots of news and updates and blogging going on about New York Fashion week so thought I should join in, just I decided to look at the bad stuff, the fashion mistakes!  

After coming across one monstrosity & an outfit that seriously should hav

e been caged and fed banana's I concluded that a whole ark of animals could be made from some of the outfits www.nymag.com were calling their 'top 100 most hideous' designs.  It's a party up there I tell you, a barking, snorting, pig farmer party.......

(Pictures courtesy of Imaxtree @ www.nymag.com)

Education Education, Who owns it.....

Copyright and charging for images is a confusing enough subject for photographers, let alone when someone else is trying to understand it or your trying to explain it to them.  I often find people do not understand that you are charging for the use of an image and yes, I can charge you £400 to use that picture in an advertising campaign.  I have had many a heated conversation with friends who seem to think I'm there taking pictures so why shouldn't i just hand them out willy nilly to anyone that wants them.  Anyway, my search for an explanation of copyright or a definition or do's and dont's never stops so I thought I would combine a whole load of info I had collected and post it here.  I hope it offers some insight!  If it confuses you more - oooops.

Copyright

 - UK Copyright Law last amended in August 2004 states that the photographer owns the rights on all pictures he or she has taken with the following exceptions;

The photographer is an employee of the company the photo's are taken for

There is an agreement which assigns the copyright to another party

- Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work.  To qualify, a work should be regarded as original, and exhibits a degree of labour, skill or judgement.

- When copyrighting a work it should be stated on the image or with accompanying documents. - A copyright notice should contain the following: Copyright, Copyright C symbol, Year of Publication, Author/Copyright owners name, Title of the work.

For more info on copyright visit www.copyrightservice.co.uk

Charging

- Negotiating rates is variable on your experience, what you are photographing, the length of time you will spend on the job, the copyright of the images, how they are going to be used and the license to use agreement.

- Rates vary for books, personal use, marketing, PR, corporate and commercial work

- It is suggested for a low budget corporate shoot, a full day should be charged at £800

- Charges for online use of photos for commercial and business, for a year should cost around £850 for an image of 800x600 pixels.

- Bulk processing of digital files @ £100 per hour

- Rates vary tremendously and there are so many altering factors.  I would recommend going with your gut instinct but do your research.  The below websites are excellent for reference.

www.londonfreelance.org

www.the-aop.org

It only takes a minute girl.....

I had 15 minutes of fame on IQONS on the 23rd and it was great!  Okay I didn't actually do anything but my profile was advertised on the main homepage & I have since received in excess of 50,000 views and some new invitations from other IQONS users.  This is all great news & I cannot wait to get round to emailing them all & hopefully planning some meets or even shoots for the future.  It did get me thinking though about other things that can be done in just fifteen minutes........

 - Calling a company you are interested in working for & seeing what you can do for each other

 - Draft an email to a photographer / artist / other creative you want to work with.  

 - Update your Facebook status with "this is what I did in 15 minutes"

 - Eat 350g of Dairy Milk

 - Pat a dog till it rolls over on its belly

 - Complete your details on the HMRC website for self assessment (I know I could hardly believe it either!)

 - Check your bank balance and transfer £10 to your savings account

 - Google image search your own name

 - Make a cuppa and grab a biscuit

 - Bend over, touch your toes, turn around and sit down, you can rest for the other 14 minutes

 - Check out the Fat Blog at www.fattalent.blogspot.com

 - Piss off a Goat

 - Sketch the dress you envisage making if money does get that tight, then realize it actually takes as long to find and buy online

 - Check out my IQONS profile and add yourself as a member too! http://www.iqons.com/CarliArt

Ballyhoo......

With my post last week about reality hitting & the fear that seems to be moving along the pit of my stomach in terms of not making it past the next few months, I have been doing some online research in terms of marketing & self promotions for the little guy....or woman.  It's Sunday, it's raining outside & what else am I supposed to do with my day (apart from the obvious and practically obligatory pub visit) so I lit a fire, toasted some hot x buns & snuggled up to my laptop.....here is what I found.  Well I had to post something, this blogging is addictive.......

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

http://www.creativepro.com/article/the-art-business-low-budget-self-promotion

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/

http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/

http://uksmallbusinessdirectory.co.uk/

http://www.linkedin.com/

http://www.freeindex.com/

http://www.launchlab.co.uk/article/Marketing/Direct-marketing-through-a-downturn/678

http://www.marketingminefield.co.uk/

15 minutes.......

Fifteen minutes of fame hey.....exciting business! As an avid and "promise I'll be more active member" of IQONS, I have my fifteen minutes of fame coming up on 23rd January.  What this involves exactly I am not entirely sure but I believe for a day your profile gets special and focussed exposure?!  Watch this space I suppose, and log on to my profile and see what its all about......

PS: Creative? Get yourself on IQONS - fantastic!

http://www.iqons.com/CarliArt

Life's Lessons.......

Corporate and commercial work to me, is important as a photographer.  Not only does it help to pay the bills but it keeps me active in photography & helps me to develop my skills; technically and in dealing with briefs, clients, copyright, editing and so forth.  Most importantly though, dealing with people and the expectations of running a business.

When I left university I was very blinkered and naive about commercial photography and thought corporate work would never be something I would do, I didn't want to be just another corporate photographer however, I have to say that I really enjoy it.  I try to give the subject a fresh approach & particularly enjoy translating and communicating my clients values into an image.  Not just any image though, one that they visually find exciting and emotes a feeling or emotion that captures the subject, event or person being photographed.  

With the credit crunch in full swing I must admit I am nervous about this year but am determined to plough as much time into my commercial portfolio as well as the fashion thing.  I have been concentrating a lot on that the past few months and I have reaped the rewards (the blog being part of that!) but thought that the whole picture needs looking at now and then & over the next few months as well as all the other sidelines I seem to have going on and various postings I will be sharing; I will also be demonstrating my other side - the corporate photographer.

I try to concentrate on events, commercial and corporate PR and have worked with some amazing business's already.  If there is one thing I can say to anyone else out there setting up in photography is remain focussed on your dream but don't forget the day to day.  I have learnt a million lessons since starting & hope to continue being a contender in the corporate sector.

Lesson 1) Believe in yourself and do not be scared to experiment

Lesson 2) ALWAYS offer excellent customer service.  Quick responses to emails, phone calls, updates and keeping your client in the loop.  Make them feel looked after.

Lesson 3) Network.  Not only does it help to create business opportunities but you suddenly open yourself up to a lot of helpful advise from people that have been in the industry a lot longer than yourself and know the ropes.

Lesson 4) Smile and present yourself well.  No Jeans!

Lesson 5) Listen to your clients, really listen.  See the subject or event as they would.  What do they need from the image.  It's about them!

Intention / Resolve / Intent / Pledge.....Resolution....

2008 didn't start with resolutions, it started with a passion to get my life in a direction I enjoyed which swiftly involved quitting my job and going freelance.  It was the best thing I have ever done. 

This year I want to grab hold of the 'fashion passion' (dear Lord did I just say that!).....continue the corporate work of course (bills must be paid!) but I want to get the head spinning passion back that gripped me while at Uni.  This will involve my 5 must do's for 2009: 1) Get to grips with a medium format camera 2) Fashion shoot on a tri monthly basis 3) Continue the networking and meet some more of these fantastic people! 4) TRY TRY TRY to get involved in an exhibition 5) Assist.  I think this is the most important, back to where the real work and experience gets done.  Assist.

You of course will be kept fully updated on my progress of all of these intentions, the tears, the fears, the laughs & the work.  I will also post any info or useful tit bits on to the blog - its all about sharing....or at least that what my mum always said.